The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-22
Irriutsa o. Special Copyrighted. lss7l
MIS- SNOW AND DOLLY
BY GRACE WINTHROP.
AUTHOR OF sTHE SINGING BABY" "JoE's
WIFE" ETC

and his eager face all in glow, I've loved Doll
for more than year"
Goodness graciousr cried the motherly oil
lady seated pposite him, land ! can't neve
realize that she's grown up"
II know it's natural you should hate to Civ
her to anyone" continued the young man, earn
estly, but I'm not stranger to you, and you'll
still be close by your erandchld. l."
"Grandchiidl Dolly isn't my grandchild."
'Wel. niece, then. l."
"Why she isn't my niece. don't know VIII
she is There, shall have to tell you the wnol
story"
The minister turned red and white and locke,
ct mis- companion with almost painful inten
sity.
1T don't care who she is" he stammered
'Say yes first, Mrs. Dodd. and tell me the stor,
afterward."
"No, / shant shall tell you about her frst
Maybe you won't want me to say yes when you've
heard"
He tried to protest but the old lady leaned
back on the hair-cloth sofa. crossed her hands ir
her capacious lap, and with sigh, began:
..Itll be sixteen year, come next fall, since
first set eyes on Dolly. 1t was on a Sunday
afternoon-I remember it as plain 8 if twas jest
the other day-and l was a settin' in that very
chair where you're settin' now and lookin out
of that wnder watchin' the yeller leaves drop
off that maple tree onto the sidewalk when
see a lady-a lady, mind you-and little gal a
comm slowly up the street Cousin Jane who
lived with me then and helped keep the house.
had gone to church, so was all alone; if she'd
been here twouidn't never have happened as it
did.
felt an interest in EN-. She middlin'
young. ana would have been pretty, only she
looked dreadful sick and wore out. SO TO speak.
She was dressed poor, but clean. and she come
along kind o. draEgin' and hopeless; with the lit
tie gal prancin' at her side, and smiling to
the yeller leaves sailin' down in the sunshine
. aEA lslnE at
'em and was wonderin' who eartn they could
be and where they belonged, when they come to
n stop in front of the house, and she looked up
sort o. longin as If she wanted to come In, but
didn't dare. I'd noticed that she KEEP gain at
the houses all along the street like she was
searchin' for something. but nothin' seemed to
strike her exactly till she see my little house set
in between the other high, narrer ones.
. 'Sakes alive! says to myself. who can she
beY
i.And went TO the front door and opened it
obliged to open that door to EN- same's if they'd
been my own folks
',She kind o. blushed up. and said, very timid:
az thought perhaps you took boarders!'
"'Well,' says |, L do Won't You step inY
II knew when said it she didn't look like
promisin' boarder. Jane wouldn't never have
encouraged her. She was awful sharp about
takin' folks TO board, Jane / felt kind o.
guilty, 1 confess; but the look in that poor
creetur's eyes, and the smile on the little ones
face Jest seemed TO draw my heart clean out OF
my body, so to speak. held open the door and
they come in. She sank down on this sofy and
The child, a-hangin' to her dress, smiled up at me
rs pleasant and sociable as If we'd been old
friends, bless her little heart! l took to that
child like bee to a head of white clover the
minute fairly see how sweet she was and, be-
fore knew what l was dom, / got glass of
wine and some sugar cookeys out of the pantry
for EN-
You ought to have seen the tears come into
that poor souls eyes; and inc baby eatin' that
scalloped cake s if she hadn't tasted nothin' SO
good for months.
. What's your name, my desrF says I, longin'
TO have her in my lap, but not thinkin' she'd
dolly says She and she put her little hand
into mine and then lifted up her face for kiss.
That kiss went right to the spot I'd been
hungry for one ever since my little Wilhelmina
Maria died, fifteen years before-she was named
after both me and Mr. Dodd; and she dIed with
Group jest about the time Mr.. Dodd begun to
show signs of his last sickness. don't suppose
knew Jest how much did miss em till had
Dolly to look after for you see, sir, there warnt
no children left to me- nor none IN our family,
only grown folks and great, blunderin' boys.
well, when they'd eat all they wan ted-and
twarn.t much-we begun to talk business.
:. My names Mis- Snow says she, and I'm
ookin' for board
For how many, ma'am, says
' Only me and my little GAL says she. And
can't pay much says she kind o bashful.
THAT would have Jest settled her to once with
Jane Somehow / liked it, twas honest; and,
after all. the house belonged to me, and hated
% lose sight of Dolly.
How much can you payF says i.
I" Seven dollars a week for both 8 all 1 can
Afford. says she.
Well says I. that's dreadful'small pay
lays l.
Il knew 'twould make Jane fairly hoppin;
:. Cant You pay sight dollarsl' says !, as anx-
Gus she was
mo says she, L can't; wish could And
he got up TO 20.
- I thank YOU says she. for bein' so kind to
49,
But Dolly. she had hold of my hand and was
,layjn' with my weddiu' ring; and all of a sud
ZEN I thought how I'd feel if my baby'd lived,
md I'd been left alone, and half sick; maybe. in
great city, and. likes not, precious little money.
hat of Scripter. Inasmuch as you have
one it unto one of the least of these my breth-
ZEN, ye have done it unto me-.
Then l put out my hand and touched her
rm.
"'I1l show you the room, says ]. maybe we
an settle it between u.s.
"She gave kind o. sob. and looked up at me.
. IL she couldn't believe her ears.
''1 amt got no reference she said in
Whisper.
well, took good look into her eyes, and
see her Clothes so neat and plain, no earrings
danglin', and bangs frizzes over her
,rehead, her hair, such q heap of 1t. SO smooth |
nd modest-lookin'.
" L amt afraid to take you SAYS l.
with that she jest chung to me, and bust out |
ryin'. Lor how she did cry!
There there, says /, pattn her on the back,
ome along up stairs and see the room.
'.'Twarn't no great show of a room, mercy
nows, out twas clean and sweet, and kind o.
stirred. so to speak. and the winder opened right
nto the yeller tree. blazin away like the sun |
Inside. / the poor things face light up as if |
had been heavens own glory oeamin in that |
tile hall bedroom and she give sigh as if she |
1t to home and safe at last
Oh says she, you don't know Dothin' about |
~ feelin's I've been obliged to live in sech |
aces! Dirty, and noisy, and common. And |
,me out this afternoon hopin' and a prayin'
q find decent spot for my little gal. This |
1 can't tell you how good it seems to
e.'
'And Dolly was a clappin' her hands, and
ngin' to 1e yeller tree like all possessed.
well the amount Of it was l agreed to take
m to board, and said ley might come the next
ornin' early; and we partc2 quite friendly on
70 door steps, Jest as Jane YVES a-comin up the
rect from church. She stared at EN- awful
harp. but didn't say nothin' till I'd shut the
DOR and come liz 20 the parlor.
There she stood with her best bunnet and
sr Sunday shawl on, and she says to me, says
he:
=" Cousin Marian, who was them folksP
Mis- Snow ana Dolly says j, as if I'd